"Why I Believe Toilet Paper is Not Your Best Hygiene Choice"

Finally, a more practical cleansing solution. But I must warn you... If you decide to take advantage of all the enhanced hygiene this has to offer, I suspect you won't want to leave home without it ever again!

It's not very often I come across a phenomenal solution that provides instant respite ... and thoroughly delivers immediate and refreshing, cleansing benefits.

Well, this is certainly one of those times.

And I want to quickly share with you what I discovered.

But first there are a few questions some folks might feel a bit uncomfortable about that need to be asked to get you thinking... thinking about something hygiene-wise you may not think about very often...

Once you urinate, how does using toilet paper ever support good hygiene practices?

After a bowel movement, is it ideal to use paper to attempt to remove waste ... and risk getting some on your genitals?

In either one of these cases, why would you risk contaminating your fingers with fecal matter or urine during these processes?

When you think about it, none of these bathroom habits make a whole lot of sense from a cleanliness standpoint. But most people, particularly in the US, often hygienically neglect these areas of their bodies... without giving it much thought.

So, taking the right step to solve these important hygiene issues is what I'm here to help you do. I can tell you the solution I discovered is one I use myself and it's both practical and affordable.

But I must warn you in advance... once you decide to take advantage of this; you might hate to use toilets outside of your home that don't have this tool.

Before we jump into this rejuvenating hygiene solution, let's first review some...

Effective Toilet Habits and Tips

Here are 5 safe and effective habits I strongly recommend for more hygienic toilet practices...

Avoid sitting on the toilet for prolonged periods of time – This increases unhealthy pressure on your rectum. Limit time on the toilet to 3-5 minutes per sitting. If necessary, get up and walk around to wait for the urge to return.

Don’t strain excessively to initiate a bowel movement – Exert gentle pressure only for no more than 30 seconds per attempt. Focus on using your abdominal and pelvic muscles.

Use a squatting position on the toilet – Hemorrhoids are rarely found in countries where people squat for bowel movements – I discovered this first-hand during my travels in India where conventional toilets were simply not often found.

Find a healthier way to cleanse yourself – Using only toilet paper to clean yourself is simply not the best method of hygiene.

So, we’ve come full circle back to the ‘toilet’ hygiene issue and the use of toilet paper. And here’s more on...

Why Toilet Paper is Not the Best Choice

Here are three questions that may seem somewhat simple at first... but I think they really hit home when it comes to using toilet paper...

When your hands are dirty, do you simply wipe them off and proceed with your regular activities?

When your clothes are soiled and need laundering, do you take a cloth to quickly wipe them clean?

When you’ve finished a high-octane workout and are dripping with sweat, do you simply use a cloth to clean your body?

Obviously, you answered ‘no’ to all of these. You use other more effective means to cleanse yourself and your clothes in these situations.

So, why would you think toilet paper is the best answer for toilet hygiene?

Well, in my opinion, it’s not... and it doesn’t even come close. And there’s another issue with toilet paper usage...

The Truly Ridiculous and Staggering Environmental Costs of Toilet Paper

When looking at some of the numbers for toilet paper usage in the US alone, the data is pretty shocking... the waste is enormous.

On an annual basis in the US, estimates range as high as...

36.5 billion rolls of toilet paper used resulting in...

15 million trees pulped...

474 billion gallons of water consumed to produce the paper...

253,000 tons of chlorine applied in the bleaching process...

17.3 terawatts of electricity wasted

Talk about wasted resources... these are staggering losses that go on year-after-year in the US alone. But it looks even worse when broken down on a daily basis.

Here are the annual estimates from above calculated (divided by 365) for a day-to-day perspective...

100 million rolls of toilet paper used resulting in...

41 thousand trees pulped...

1.3 billion gallons of water consumed to produce the paper...

693 tons of chlorine applied in the bleaching process...

47 thousand megawatt-hours of electricity wasted

All this data provides even more motivation to find ways to eliminate or at least cut back on toilet paper usage. Wouldn't you agree?

By using excessive amounts of toilet paper, not only are you practicing a bathroom habit that does not provide optimum hygiene, you are negatively impacting the environment.

Let me introduce you to the solution I strongly recommend... a solution I sorely miss when I'm traveling or away from home. And one I warn you, you may become enamored with as well.

A Bathroom Hygiene Solution I Believe Everyone Should Adopt

To me, the best solution I’ve found to date to improve toilet hygiene and to help curb the excessive use of toilet paper is a bidet.

This may not come as a total surprise to you. But wait, before you jump to conclusions too quickly, I can tell you my recommendation is not your typical European-style bidet.

You’re probably wondering how my solution can be a bidet, yet still be practical and affordable? And some bathrooms are too small to add anything extra... much less a bidet.

Well, bear with me on this. As I already said, my solution is not your typical European bidet... and my solution is both practical and a space-saver as well.

I’ll have more details on that coming up but next let’s take a closer look at the basics on how a bidet can benefit you.

A bidet can...

Help you avoid potential hand contamination from normal wiping

Provide a gentler form of cleansing

Help avoid some of the irritation of hemorrhoids that toilet paper can cause

Why Don't They Grace More American Bathrooms?

Bidets have been around for over 250 years offering excellent personal hygiene.
And the last 50 years have seen a revolution in their form and function.

So, why don't bidets grace more American bathrooms?

This is a bit perplexing. But it may have something to do with simple social denial.

Paying attention to something that helps to properly clean and bathe your anal and genital areas may be simply considered unusual or embarrassing to most Americans.

To most continental Europeans, not having a bidet in their bathroom is unthinkable and even considered uncivilized. Maybe it's time Americans put all this behind and concentrated on ways to promote the best hygiene in their bathrooms.

Here are some other potential reasons why Americans (and others) may not use a bidet in their bathrooms...

Too expensive...

Takes up too much space and difficult to install...

Impractical to use for both bowel and genital hygiene

Well, I promise you with the evolution of bidet technology over the last several years and with the practical model I discovered, all of these concerns quickly disappear.

It's my feeling there are few if any reasons remaining why you shouldn't have a refreshing bidet in your bathroom to enhance personal hygiene.

Here's more on how my solution knocks down the bidet resistance barriers...

How this Bathroom Hygiene Solution Could Pay for Itself in No Time at All

Let me quickly dispel each one of the reasons I defined above why most people resist adding bidets to their bathrooms.

And these reasons are over and above the fact that many people may just not take toilet hygiene seriously. That's another issue. But I hope by getting more educated on the matter, more and more people will take the issue much more seriously.

The first reason you may not buy a bidet is you may simply feel it is just too expensive. And certainly, if you install a separate European-style unit, that could easily be the case.

But the model I use and will introduce to you shortly, could pay for itself quite quickly in what you save in toilet paper expenses.

Here are a couple examples of estimated payback timeframes on your bidet from toilet paper savings. Obviously, every household may use different amounts of paper, a multitude of different brands, and purchase toilet paper at a wide variety of locations and prices. Additional water expenses are not included in the calculation below as the additional water used is minimal.

For these two examples, I chose two popular brands for toilet paper pricing... one from an online source (Product X)... the other from a retail store (Product Y).

Cost Comparison: Toilet Paper vs. Bidet

Toilet Paper X
(12 Roll Pack)

Toilet Paper Y
(12 Roll Pack)

Mercola Soft Spray Bidet
(Single Bidet Attachment)

Cost: †?

$13.98

$6.96

$59.00 one-time-cost

Cost over 30 days††:

$14.97

$9.94

$59.00 one-time-cost

Cost over 1 year††:

$179.64

$119.31

$59.00 one-time-cost

†Sample pricing and data from products X and Y were compiled on September 1, 2010. Each is a name brand available commonly in retail stores; each contains 12 rolls per package.

From the above table you can see how a $59.00 bidet could pay for itself in 8-10 months. Depending on your household habits, your payback period could even be less.

Does $59.00 sound like a ridiculously low price for a bidet?

The whole point of this analysis is to show you bidets don't have to be expensive and can potentially pay for themselves with toilet paper savings over time. And of course, this is in addition to all the extraordinary hygiene benefits you get... plus, the environmental savings you're contributing to as well.

Installation is a Breeze – I Personally Installed It without a Plumber

The next point of resistance why a bidet may not make sense to you is you simply might have very limited space in your bathrooms.

Well, with the model I uncovered, your space concerns simply vanish.

Why is that?

Because the model I use exclusively myself and highly recommend is not a European-style bidet... it’s not a totally separate unit.

The Mercola Soft Spray Bidet is a unit that fits and operates on your current toilet. And its adjustable design specifically allows it to fit on most toilets.

Not only is it easy to install, special plumbing (and the added cost of a plumber) is not required. You can install it yourself in less than an hour. In fact, I am not very mechanically inclined but was able to install the unit in one of my bathrooms in less than thirty minutes.

Here’s a summary of the basic steps required...

Shut off the incoming water to the toilet

Replace the existing water hose with the flexible hose provided

Easily remove the toilet seat

Connect the plastic water tube from the flexible hose to the bidet

Place and adjust the bidet frame over the toilet seat bolt holes and reinstall the toilet seat

Turn the incoming water to the toilet back on

Follow the bidet operating instructions and enjoy the refreshing hygiene

...Oh, be sure to check your watch because less than 60 minutes is all it should take!

Of course, there are a few more details including the easy-to-read diagrams and a comprehensive parts list in the bidet package you receive.

But that’s really all there is to installing it. Like I said, I was able to personally install my unit in less than an hour. And several members of my staff have easily installed the Mercola Soft Spray Bidet as well.

You won’t need a plumber and finding space for a separate European-style unit is a non-issue.

However, over-tightening of connections could damage the unit. If for some reason you cannot bend easily to reach the toilet plumbing, consider using a local handyman to help you out.

How this Type of Solution Easily Solves an Impractical Bathroom Hygiene Issue

One of the biggest benefits of installing and using a ‘toilet’ bidet, like the Mercola Soft Spray Bidet, is its dual-hygiene practicality.

What do I mean by that?

Well, you remember earlier how I raised the importance of cleansing both your genitals and your anal area after a bowel movement? With a separate European-style bidet, I’m not sure how you can practically do that and not use the same amount of toilet paper you’re already using.

It seems near impossible and certainly not practical to quickly try and hop from your toilet to a separate bidet unit after a bowel movement.

And since separate bidet units are not designed to handle solid waste, you’ll have to wipe yourself using toilet paper prior to cleansing in this type of bidet.

Kind of defeats some of the hygiene and savings benefits, don’t you think?

This is where the toilet bidet provides a much more practical solution and truly supports the dual-purpose hygiene mentioned above. With the Soft Spray Bidet, you may wish to wipe with only a small amount of toilet paper or dedicated towel, to pat yourself dry after using it.

Here's a summary of the major advantages of the Mercola Soft Spray Bidet over the separate European-style unit.

The Mercola Soft Spray Bidet...

Is less expensive than separate bidet units and saves toilet paper

Does not require extra space in your bathroom for a separate unit and is easy to install

Promotes practical dual-hygienic cleansing of both genitals and anal area with a single toilet unit

Believe me, once you quickly install and try the Mercola Soft Spray Bidet for the first time, you’ll feel rejuvenated and refreshed like never before.

Some Potential Relief from the Irritation of Toilet Paper for People with
Certain Challenging Conditions

At this point, you’ve heard all about how using less toilet paper helps save the planet and helps you save money at the same time.

For people suffering from different kinds of bowel conditions, a bidet can also potentially offer some relief... by allowing you to avoid irritating toilet paper. Here are a few examples...

Crohn’s

Ulcerative colitis

Constipation

Hemorrhoids

Diarrhea

A bidet can potentially provide some relief from these conditions by helping you avoid the use of toilet paper.

Plus, there are even more ways a toilet style bidet can help certain people...

A Simpler and More Thorough Way for People with Limited Physical Abilities to Cleanse Themselves

Besides providing an ideal hygienic means for cleansing for your whole family, there are certain groups of people a bidet can provide tremendous benefits including...

People with temporary injuries – They can cleanse themselves without becoming contortionists trying to use toilet paper.

People with permanent disabilities or handicaps – A toilet bidet can help them better cleanse themselves with greater ease and thoroughness.

The elderly – They can easily and quickly practice good hygiene without excessive assistance.

And certainly in all of these situations, a toilet bidet, like the Mercola Soft Spray Bidet, is far more practical than a separately installed unit.

Attempting to move from the toilet to a separate bidet unit may simply not be possible for those with injuries or disabilities.

More Compelling Reasons Why this is My Top Choice

Here's a quick comparison chart providing you a summary of additional extraordinary features and benefits of the Mercola Soft Spray Bidet and more reasons why I chose it for my own personal use...

Feature/Benefit:

Mercola Soft Spray Bidet?

Other manufacturers?

Saves electricity?

Yes – Electricity is not required to operate this bidet.

Some manufacturers, even those who produce ‘toilet’ bidets, require electricity to operate.

Is affordable?

Yes – This bidet is reasonably priced at less than $59.00.

Some ‘toilet’ seat bidets can cost over $500 and separate European-style units even more.

Easy to operate?

Yes – The unit comes with an easy to use adjustable water pressure control knob that is fully accessible while you’re seated. You’re in full control at all times.

Not all manufacturers of toilet bidets provide an adjustable pressure control mechanism easily accessible while you’re seated.

Easy to clean?

Yes – A self-cleaning easy-to-operate feature is included with the unit.

Not all bidets include a self-cleaning function to help save you time and effort.

Includes adjustable spray nozzle?

Yes – The Mercola Soft Spray Bidet has an adjustable nozzle to support dual-hygienic cleansing.

Some bidet manufacturers do not include a nozzle adjustment to support the dual-hygiene need.

Won’t rust?

Yes – The unit is made of very high quality and durable ABS resin material that won’t rust. Internal mechanisms are made of all brass.

Not every bidet manufacturer provides as durable a bidet and not all come with rust-resistant brass components.

Easily removed if needed?

Yes – Just like it takes less than an hour to install, the bidet is quickly detached if necessary. It can be easily moved to another toilet if desired.

Separate bidets once installed, are pretty much permanent and not easily and practically removed.

Comes with a 1-year warranty?

Yes – This product is not only backed by the manufacturer’s 1-year warranty, it’s covered by my standard guarantee as well. See below for details on my guarantee.

Not all manufacturers provide such a comprehensive warranty and guarantee. Some only support a 90-day limited warranty.

So, these are more compelling reasons why I chose the Mercola Soft Spray Bidet for you to thoroughly enjoy and reap the benefits from.

Improve Your Bathroom Hygiene Once and For All

Isn't it time you really focused on cleaner toilet habits... really took the time to improve your bathroom hygiene?

Well, with the easy-to-install Mercola Soft Spray Bidet you can take the right step forward knowing it...

Provides you thorough cleanliness and immediate refreshment – You can avoid using paper to clean yourself after a bowel movement and urination.

Saves you money – Not only toilet paper but you can save electricity as well because this toilet bidet does not require any power.

Helps you protect valuable planet resources – From helping conserve trees to kilowatts of electricity and gallons of water required in toilet paper production, you can help preserve precious planet earth resources.

Plus, if you're elderly or have limited mobility from injury or otherwise, the Mercola Soft Spray Bidet makes maintaining a higher level of hygiene so much more practical.

And when was the last time you had the opportunity to get immediate benefits from a hygienic product and have it pay for itself in 10 months or less?

What about the price? At only $59.00, this bidet is hundreds less than European-style separate units and even other toilet models.

So, please get serious about your bathroom hygiene and order the Mercola Soft Spray Bidet today and start enjoying the refreshing benefits.

This Mercola Soft Spray Bidet Attachment for Toilets was carefully tested before shipment from the Manufacturer, who warrants this product to be free from defects, material and workmanship for a period of one (1) Year from the date of purchase, from the distributor.

THIS WARRANTY EXCLUDES THE FOLLOWING:

Replacement of discolored or used parts from chemicals used for cleaning or water discoloration.

Damage to or malfunction of the unit resulting from improper installation, negligence, misuse, abuse or tampering by unauthorized repair personnel.

Under no circumstance Mercola Health Resources, LLC be held liable for any loss or damage direct, consequential or incidental arising out of the use or inability to use this product.
(Some States do not allow this exclusion).

Age of the bidet, improper installation can result in plumbing breakage and water flooding to the bathroom or home, this product must be used at the owner's risk. Therefore, the owner hereby releases the manufacturer and distributor from any and all claims for damage where the above conditions exist.

The owner hereby releases the manufacturer and distributor from any and all claims from the installation and misreading or misinterpretation of the installation instructions included.

Only the original purchaser may submit a claim under this Limited Warranty.

Disclaimer: The entire contents of this website are based upon the opinions of Dr. Mercola, unless otherwise noted. Individual articles are based upon the opinions of the respective author, who retains copyright as marked. The information on this website is not intended to replace a one-on-one relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice. It is intended as a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Mercola and his community. Dr. Mercola encourages you to make your own health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. If you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition, consult your health care professional before using products based on this content.

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